Let Me Give You a Tip

There's a saying that posits that, "A man's character is measured not by how he treats his peers, but by how he treats those who serve him." Or something like that. Regardless, the spirit of this axiom never rings more true to me than when I'm working at the restaurant (Feast @ 4East - seriously, come visit me, awesome food at reasonable prices).

I'm sure you know that the best way to show your appreciation to your server in a restaurant is to leave him/her a good tip. So many people, though, prove time and again that they don't know what constitutes a good tip. It never ceases to amaze me when someone tells me what a great job I've done and how much they enjoyed my service, and then proceed to leave me a lousy 13%. And so, in the spirit of Gentlemanly Behavior (the cornerstone of character here at These Gentlemen), I bring you:

The ali d Guide to Tipping Etiquette

The Basics:

How Much Should I Tip My Server? (or The 15% Myth)

Ever heard this one? "I used to work in a restaurant, so I always leave at least 20%."

There's a reason for that. Whether or not you see it, your server is probably busting his ass to take care of his customers. Four to eight hours of running around (often literally) carrying things for people is exhausting. Not only that, but he's working for less than minimum wage. A lot less. Think $3/hour (before taxes). Without your tip, your server has essentially done his job for free.

That being said:

20% = You were my server. You did a GOOD job. If your server was polite, timely, and got you through to the end of the meal without any disasters, he did well, and deserves a good tip. A good tip is 20%. Anything less probably makes your server wonder where he went wrong.

15% = You were my server. You were OK. You did your job. So maybe you had to wait 20 minutes before he could take your order, he forgot that you asked for no pickles on your burger, and he brought the check before you could order dessert. Did you get your food? Then your server did his job, and he deserves an average tip.

10% = I have never encountered a reason to leave a 10% tip. Ever.

Was your server entertaining you with funny jokes? Did he refill your water glass 6 times before you even had to ask? Did he offer to change the preparation of a meal to suit your tastes? If your server did a GREAT job, consider kicking him 25-30%. I guarantee it'll make his night.

Crap! I forgot my phone and thus have no calculator! How do I know how much to leave?

It's very simple, actually. All you need is some grade school arithmetic. Remember this little trick, and you'll never have trouble figuring out the tip again. Look at the total on your bill. Round it up to the nearest dollar. If you then move the decimal one space to the left, you have just taken 10% of the check. Multiply that 10% by 2, and you have the minimum you should be tipping a good server. For example:

Your total for the evening comes to $116.30

$116.30 --> $117 --> 11.7 --> $11.70

$11.70 x 2 --> roughly $23

With smaller checks it's even easier. Total comes to $22.40? $2.30 + $2.30 = $4.60. After a while the math becomes automatic. Should you find yourself being waited on by a lackluster server and feel the need to tip less than 20%, simply move your decimal point and then add half of that total and you've calculated 15%.

Your bill for the night is $36.50

$36.50 --> $37 --> 3.7 --> $3.70

$3.70/2 --> $1.85

$3.70 + $1.85 --> $5.55

The Big Leagues:

1. If you stay late, leave a bigger tip. As mentioned earlier, tips = salary when you work in a restaurant. The more tips you make, the more money you can take home with you, so you typically want to wait on as many tables as possible.

If your party is chilling out for an hour after you've finished eating, you've prevented your server from getting another table, which would result in another tip. I'm not saying you shouldn't hang around - I love relaxing at a restaurant with a group of friends. I'm just asking you to bump the tip by five or ten dollars in recognition of the fact that your server has lost potential additional business or has to stay later in order to clean up after you.

2. If you have a coupon/get comped something, tip as though that item were included on the bill. Even if you have a coupon for a free appetizer, your server still has to take the order, send it to the kitchen, bring it out to you, and pick up the dishes. He is doing the exact same amount of work that he would be doing if you were paying for the food. Please tip him accordingly by adding the price of the free item into the bill total before you calculate the tip.

3. If you can't afford to tip, don't go out to eat. It's that simple.

And please remember, above all, that everyone has a bad day every once and awhile. A spilled drink or a mixed-up order does not a terrible server make. One of my co-workers at Applebee's once worked through a stab wound because she needed the tip money to go to the hospital to get checked out. Your good tip might be the best part of an otherwise terrible day. You never know.